music

MacMillan’s masterpiece and a beloved classic, performed for the first time.

English National Ballet presents a double bill featuring Kenneth MacMillan’s masterpiece Song of the Earth and Frank Andersen’s recreation of La Sylphide.

Song of the Earth

Inspired by Mahler’s haunting song cycle Das Lied von der Erde, MacMillan brings music, poetry and choreography together to capture the fragility of life, and its constant renewal. Three central figures portray the bittersweet reality of love, loss, and mortality: a Woman, a Man and an enigmatic Messenger.

First performed in 1965, Song of the Earth was a point of departure for MacMillan’s choreography, surprising and captivating audiences and critics. English National Ballet is honoured to add this revered MacMillan work to its repertoire.

La Sylphide

On the morning of his wedding to his sweet fiancée Effy, James awakens from a dream to see a mysterious and tantalising Sylphide before him. His obsession with her sets off a fateful sequence of events where joy turns to sorrow, love to betrayal and infatuation to tragedy.

August Bournonville’s classic Romantic ballet is devotedly recreated by Eva Kloborg and Frank Andersen in this captivating production, and is accompanied by an enchanting score, played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic.

La Sylphide is a beautiful jewel in the history of ballet and I can’t wait for the Company and our audiences to rediscover it.

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director English National Ballet

Get a unique insight into Song of the Earth – hear Tamara Rojo and Deborah MacMillan discuss this masterwork in the video below.

New score, adapted from Adolphe Adam original by composer Vincenzo Lamagna.

Set and costumes by Tim Yip.

Performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Music director; Gavin Sutherland.

Dramaturgy; Ruth Little. Lighting design; Mark Henderson.

“When I decided I wanted to bring Giselle, one of the most traditional pieces of the classical repertoire, into the 21st Century there was only one choreographer I believe had both the knowledge of tradition and creativity necessary for this task. I am incredibly excited that Akram accepted this challenge. I believe this will be a very important step for the whole art form and I hope it will make this beautiful classic relevant to new audiences.”Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director, English National Ballet.